general-purpose

adjective

gen·​er·​al-pur·​pose ˈjen-rəl-ˈpər-pəs How to pronounce general-purpose (audio)
ˈje-nə-
: suitable to be used for two or more basic purposes

Examples of general-purpose in a Sentence

a general-purpose glue for routine household repairs
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Traditional horizontal platforms like CRMs, search engines or general-purpose large language models (LLMs) are built for flexibility across industries but lack the domain-specific logic to handle freight’s complexity. Albert Lie, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025 Rather than relying on general-purpose AI like GPT-4, which often struggles with domain-specific details, these models are trained on medical texts and structured to understand the nuances of clinical language. David Talby, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025 Frustrated with inherent inefficiencies in the architecture of ultralow-power microprocessors, the founders of startup Efficient Computer decided to reinvent the general-purpose processor from the ground up for energy efficiency. IEEE Spectrum, 24 July 2025 The company expects this investment to continue to drive healthy demand growth in the AI server market, despite macro uncertainty, with demand for general-purpose servers also expected to grow. Dylan Butts, CNBC, 23 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for general-purpose

Word History

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of general-purpose was in 1894

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Cite this Entry

“General-purpose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/general-purpose. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.

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